Today, the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union concluded the meetings of the 146th session of the Assembly, which was held with the participation of the Shura Council in Bahrain from 11 to 15 March, under the slogan "Promoting peaceful coexistence and inclusive societies for all.. Fighting intolerance".
Over the course of five days, the meetings witnessed discussions and sessions of the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Governing Council, and various permanent and sub-committees, as well as the organization of a number of workshops and accompanying events, and coordination meetings between the various parliamentary groups.
The Shura Council delegation participated in the sessions of the last day of the meetings of the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, including the closing session, which dealt in its discussions with the topics on its agenda, and included the adoption of resolutions, reports of permanent committees, and the final document.
The participants pledged to fight inequality and urged the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 to achieve peace, democracy and sustainable development for all. They emphasized the need for international cooperation to tackle cybercrime, as well as to protect global peace, security and economic stability while upholding human rights, including freedom of expression.
They considered acts based on hate and all forms of violence linked to religion, belief, xenophobia, racism or intolerance against marginalized groups a crime under the law, calling for the regulation of digital platforms and other media to reduce the risks of hate speech and various forms of misinformation while protecting the fundamental right to freedom of expression. as a bulwark of democracy. They also called for the protection of cultural sites as an expression of the common heritage, as well as sacred places, places of worship and religious symbols as an expression of different religions and beliefs.
Among the meetings in which the Shura Council delegation participated were the meetings of the Union’s Standing Committee for Democracy and Human Rights, in which HE Council member Dr. Sultan bin Hassan Al-Dosari participated. The committee discussed the parliamentary momentum to combat misleading information and hateful and discriminatory content in cyberspace. Orphans and the role of parliaments in addressing it and limiting the damages of trafficking in this group.
The sessions of the Standing Committee for International Peace and Security were held under the chairmanship of His Excellency Mr. Mohammed bin Mahdi Al-Ahbabi, member of the Shura Council and Chairman of the Committee, where the Committee approved its brief report on its activities approved at the previous session of the General Assembly of the Union, which was held in Rwanda last year.
The committee also discussed, within its agenda, cyber attacks and cybercrimes and the resulting new risks to global security, and adopted a resolution on them. The committee also discussed the preparations for the upcoming general assemblies, by presenting proposals for topics and items that the committee could consider.
At the end of the committee meetings, Al-Ahbabi submitted a report to the plenary session from his position as chairman of the committee, in which he informed it of the unremitting efforts made to study the decision on electronic attacks, in light of the increasing reliance on digital technologies, and the measures that must be taken to grant protection to citizens via the Internet. He indicated that the members’ discussions included issues of the need to exchange information about cybercrimes through parliaments, strengthening the protection of citizens, especially the most vulnerable, and vital civil infrastructures, as well as expressing differences of opinion on concepts and terminology that should be used.
He emphasized that the issue of cybercrime and attacks was of great importance to all members. The report concluded that the results of the discussions and negotiations are a balanced decision that highlights the role of parliaments in expanding protection for citizens in cyberspace, and also stresses that cybercrime may pose a serious threat to democratic processes and calls for the need for international cooperation to address cybercrime, as well as to protect peace, security and stability. global economy while preserving the basic principles of human rights, including freedom of expression.
Within the framework of the Shura Council’s active participation in the meetings of the 146th session of the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, HE Member of the Council Nasser bin Mohsen Bukshisha participated in the meetings of the Standing Committee on United Nations Affairs, which reviewed its new ways and methods of work, which aim to increase the committee’s focus on a number of issues. Major reform issues in the United Nations and using its sessions as opportunities to mobilize parliamentarians to bring about change in the United Nations.
The Committee discussed the achievement of equality between men and women in the United Nations General Assembly, and also reviewed the results of the 2022 Inter-Parliamentary Union survey of about 40 parliaments participating in the voluntary national reviews of the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and also presented the 2023 survey, which It includes 42 parliaments.
With the participation of His Excellency Eng. Ahmed bin Hitmi Al-Hitmi, member of the Shura Council, the Permanent Committee for Sustainable Development of the Inter-Parliamentary Union discussed the parliamentary efforts required to achieve environmental sustainability. In this context, the Committee discussed a resolution on parliamentary efforts to achieve a negative carbon balance in forests, and after reviewing the proposed draft resolution and the explanatory note prepared by the rapporteurs, it was adopted. His Excellency highlighted, in his intervention in one of the sessions, the efforts of the State of Qatar to reduce carbon emissions according to clear plans that were crystallized in "Qatar National Strategy for Environment and Climate Change".
On the other hand, on the sidelines of the 146th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement held its second conference, with the participation of His Excellency Eng. of the Parliamentary Network for the Initiatives put forward by the Presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement to support the global recovery after the Corona pandemic, a draft resolution on granting observer status to international parliamentary organizations, and a draft resolution on amendments to the statute of the Non-Aligned Movement’s working methods.
His Excellency Mr. Omair bin Abdullah Al Nuaimi, member of the Shura Council, participated in the Young Parliamentarians Forum, which dealt with assessing the participation of youth at the national and international levels in parliaments and the latest developments in this regard. The successes achieved were also reviewed, as well as the challenges that hinder youth work to draw conclusions and make recommendations regarding them, as well On reviewing the efforts of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in supporting youth participation and activating their role.
Forum members exchanged views from the perspective of young people on the topic of discussion for the current session of the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union entitled "Peaceful coexistence and inclusive societies for all… Fighting intolerance"In addition to the two draft resolutions on cybercrime and new security risks, and parliamentary efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
In the same context, His Excellency Dr. Ahmed bin Nasser Al-Fadala, Secretary-General of the Shura Council, participated in a series of meetings of the Assembly of Secretaries-General of National Parliaments of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which were held daily within the agenda of the 146th General Assembly of the Union. Several issues related to the work of the General Secretariat in the Union were discussed. Parliaments and legislative assemblies, presenting the practices of a number of countries, and discussing best practices for digital parliaments. It also discussed topics such as citizen participation in the work of parliament, parliamentarians and conflicts of interest, and the role of parliaments in combating climate change.
On the sidelines of the work of the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, His Excellency the Secretary-General of the Shura Council met with His Excellency Mr. Duarte Pacheco, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. During the meeting, they discussed parliamentary cooperation relations between the Shura Council and the Parliamentary Union and ways to enhance them, in addition to reviewing a number of topics on The agenda of the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the exchange of views on it.
